


Waiting For A Sign

by Fawn4Life



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 07:38:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5819881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fawn4Life/pseuds/Fawn4Life
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yang waits. She breathes. She can only pray that Blake will keep doing the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting For A Sign

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the tumblr prompt "I almost lost you."

Red.

Red everywhere. On her hands, under her nails, staining her clothes and her skin and her face from where she had wiped the tears from her eyes furiously after everything had settled. She laughed, an awful, choked sound that echoed throughout the room and made her wince as it drilled into her brain. Steam filled the air from the sink, skin turning an angry pink as she scrubbed at her hands in savage, jerky motions.

“Yang.”

She gave no sign that she had even heard her name being called, refusing to acknowledge her sister as she continued on washing her hands under the scalding water, hot enough to boil. The pain kept her on edge, sparks dancing along her skin as she fought to rid her hands of the tacky red fluid.

“Yang, please… You’re hurting yourself.”

“Enough Ruby. She’s obviously not going to listen to reason.” Weiss’ voice accompanied the blast of frigid water as a dainty hand turned the tap from hot to cold, making Yang nearly howl in pain at the abrupt change of temperature. Yanking her hands away, she held them close to her chest.

“Go away, Weiss,” she hissed out. “Go away. Just-just leave.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Weiss snapped. “It’s been three days. She’ll be fine. The doctor’s said she’d pull through. Do you think Blake would want to see you like this?”

“Don’t!”

The heiress stepped back in shock as Yang stood up straight, towering over her. “Yang-”

“Don’t ‘Yang’ me, princess! It was my fault that she- That Blake…” Yang faltered, holding her raw hands in front of her eyes. There was still red. So much red. “You don’t understand… I can still see the blood. She was- god, there was so much blood and it’s not coming off and all I can see is her-”

Warm hands wrapped around her own, making her wince. Ruby stared back at her, silver drenched in so much sympathy and worry that Yang felt tears pricking her eyes. “Sis, it wasn’t your fault. There was just too many of them, it wasn’t anyone’s fault. And besides,” her voice took on a falsely cheery tone. “She’s due to wake up any day now. I think she’d like to see you when she does, and she can’t do that if you’re all cooped up here. Why don’t you go get some food and go visit her? I bet she’d appreciate it.”

“Yeah… Yeah okay..” She couldn’t refuse after seeing how worried Ruby was. “I’m just gonna… Go get something to eat I guess.”

“Great!”

She didn’t feel very much like eating, but she left for the cafeteria nonetheless, sitting down with a heavy thump at one of the benches before unwrapping her sandwich that she had bought. Bite. Chew. Swallow. She didn’t taste the food, working on autopilot as she stared at some sort of stain on the table, ingrained into the wood for what was certainly forever.

She hoped Blake would wake up soon.

Blake didn’t.

Every morning Yang would drag herself out of bed and sit vigil at Blake’s beside, watching as her partner’s chest rose and fell shallowly with every breath she took. Every night she would be forced back to the dorm by her worried sister and her teammate, only to be swallowed up by nightmares where she was forced to watch helplessly as Blake died over and over again in front of her, drowning Yang in her blood. She’d awaken every night gasping for air, choking on nothing. Ruby and Weiss would always wake up and run to her side, soothing her as best they could.

It was nearing the third week of Blake’s stay in the school’s infirmary that she awoke. Yang, who had been zoned out as she stared at her partner’s face, gasped a little when she saw slim brows furrow together. Pale fingers twitched against white sheets, a small moan escaping cracked lips.

“Blake…?” Yang breathed out, hope filling her heart for the first time in over a week. “Blake, baby, can you hear me?”

The garbled noise she got in response was more than enough to make Yang tear up. Leaning forward, she cupped Blake’s cheek tenderly, stroking soft skin with a broad thumb.

“Shh.. You’ve been asleep for a while now. It’s okay, I’m here. You’re safe.”

The next few hours were a whirlwind of people, both doctors and visitors alike. Blake had managed to speak a few words and eat a little bit of broth before falling back asleep, exhausted from the day. Yang had nearly made herself sick with worry that Blake had fallen back into another coma, but the doctor had informed her that despite being in a coma, Blake hadn’t actually gotten any restful sleep and was going to tire out easily for the next little while.

Sitting beside Blake’s side once more, Yang glanced down to Blake’s chest. Hidden behind the blanket and hospital gown was the wound that had nearly taken Blake’s life. Five jagged marks that went straight through from Blake’s front to her back from where she had been impaled on an Ursa’s claws. They had shredded her flesh and punctured her right lung, and Yang had only been able to watch as her best friend, her love had lain there, choking on her own blood. Covering Yang in it as she had cradled her partner and tried her best not to cry.

It was only thanks to Yang’s fiery ability that she had been able to cauterize the external wounds so that Blake hadn’t bled out, and Ruby’s semblance that had allowed her to rush Blake to Beacon for immediate treatment.

Blake would bear those scars forever. Not that Yang cared; they in no way detracted from Blake’s beauty, and they were symbols that she was still alive.

Picking up Blake’s limp hand, Yang ran her thumb over scarred knuckles before bringing it up to her lips to kiss the back of her hand. “I almost lost you,” she whispered into the open air. “I almost lost you.. I don’t know what I would have done without you. I’m so glad you’re back…” She couldn’t really tell, but it felt like Blake relaxed just the slightest fraction against her. “I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you, and I’ll spend every waking moment letting you know how much I love you.”

Cautiously, Yang slipped into the bed beside Blake, tucking herself up against the girl’s side while making sure not to jostle any of the various drips and IV lines attached. Perhaps the doctor would scold her come morning, but for now she needed to know that Blake was there. Just before she closed her eyes, she slid her fingers through Blake’s, lacing them together.

Her tanned fingers stood out against Blake’s pale skin.

There was no red staining them anymore.


End file.
